Backyard Camping

This is as far as we made it camping this summer...to our backyard. 

Oh well, better luck next summer. The calendar just seemed to fill up too quickly to make it happen.

The kids still had a blast anyway.

 While Michael and the older kids put up the tent, Sam entertained himself with the cat door.

No, we do not own a cat. It's just a luxury that came with the house.

However, we do have a few that roam our yard occasionally...not sure if they've used that door.

 We even made popcorn and roasted marshmallows over the "camp stove".

And here's a picture of the morning after a restful night sleep.

Who am I kidding?! Sam and I were inside all night. That tent is too small for a family of five.

So thank you to Michael for camping in the backyard with the kids. Kat and Max loved it.

The County Fair

A trip to our county fair before school started...

We go every year, and for some reason, we always start at the petting zoo.

I love that we basically see the same animals ever year.

 There were a few baby goats that we loved watching.

 The kids had so much fun on the rides this year.

After making the mistake of buying tickets and going through those in the blink of an eye,

we went back for wristbands. It was totally worth the extra cost.

 The kids rode and rode and rode.

Little Sammy even got his own ride.

 Maxwell did pretty well on most of the kiddie rides. 

He got a little scared on a few of them, but he eventually warmed up.

  They went down this slide several times in a row. It was a favorite.

 Kathryn was our little thrill seeker. 

Michael and I took turns going on several of the bigger rides with her and she had a blast.

Maxwell was too short for them, so that was kind of a tragedy for him.

 We had so much fun at the fair this year and we can't wait to go again next summer.

Ten Things

 1. It's warmed up over here finally after weeks of rain, so we had to break out the sprinkler.

Sammy didn't want to be left out of the fun either.

2. Kathryn lost her fifth tooth while watching the high school football game.

3. Despite how it looks in the picture...we really do like each other.

4. Kathryn drew this portrait of me yesterday after church. 

5. Sam fell asleep while watching Michael paint the trim in our bedroom one morning. He was sick, otherwise this would have NEVER happened.

6. Kathryn has learned how to ride her bike with out training wheels. She picked it up super quickly! 

 

7. Just some nice, quiet cuddle time for my two little turkeys. That's kind of a joke...

8. A date to the temple.

9. Maxwell all decked out to go cheer Kathryn on at her soccer game.

 

10. How we spent labor day.

First Day

It's hard to believe that I have a child in school already.

And then again, it's not. Because we've been preparing for the this day for nearly six years.

And because she was beyond ready.

My darling little Kathryn went to her first day of (full day) kindergarten yesterday.

She told me how excited she was almost fifty times that morning. 

I couldn't help but be excited too by the way she was acting. Her excitement was infectious.

She was positively glowing as we walked to school.

I was so proud of her and the beautiful, brave, smart, kind and loving girl she has grown into.

I've been praying for months now for this girl of mine. 

Praying that she would have a good experience in school, a good teacher and make good friends.

I'm pretty confident that we lucked out in all three areas.

The night before, Michael gave her a father's blessing. Growing up, he always had one before school too. 

It was a beautiful blessing filled with wise council that brought great peace, especially to me.

And the best part was when she told me that she felt the holy ghost.

Michael also gave me a blessing, which calmed my anxious mother heart even more.

As we walked to school the next morning, I couldn't help but feel strengthened from those blessings.

I felt like such a lucky mother to be holding the hand of my brave daughter.

She hugged and kissed me goodbye once she found her seat, but I still hung around as long as possible.

I wanted to watch her just a little bit longer. And then, I waved goodbye and she gave me a big smile.

When we picked her up from school that afternoon, it was a madhouse.

I anxiously waited as each of the kindergarten teachers escorted their classes outside.

Max kept asking where she was. He was just as excited to see her as I was.

Finally, her class came out. She ran too me with the biggest smile on her face and gave me hug.

I asked her how her first day was and she replied, "It was the best!"

And that's when I shed a few tears. I was so happy that she was happy. 

Summer wrap-up

A few extra things from our summer...hard to believe it's nearing the end. 

And even harder to believe that our sweet Kathryn will be starting kindergarten in less than a week. 

Man, the time is flying by far too quickly.

1. Another sink bath for my darling boy. I love this picture, despite the blurriness.

2. Family reunion at my parents cabin. Just a quick picture with all the grand kids. Can you spot Max? He sure looks happy to be in there, right?! The traditional fish pond and treasure hunt were a hit.

3. Maxwell was not too keen on his first trip to the dentist.

4. Just a little friendly competition between the primary children and the bishopric during the ward party for Pioneer Day.

5. This sleeping arrangement didn't last too long.

6. Samuel's birthday dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant.

7. I cleaned the temple one evening while Michael was home with sick kids. This was such a beautiful sight to see as I was leaving. 

8. Kathryn, Max and Sam played daycare one afternoon while I was freezing peaches. It was so cute to see all the work Kathryn put into planning the whole thing.

9. A tea party I was invited to attend.

10. My niece stayed with us for a few weeks while she did an internship for school. It was so fun having her, but we wished she could have stayed longer. She always made time for the kids between work and homework and she was such a great help to me. Before we left, we took her on a tour of the "big" city.

11. Their favorite corner to play in during the summer.

12. Trying on daddy and mommy's shoes.

13. We finally used the rafting trip we bought at the scout auction earlier this year. We had a blast!

14. Camping in the tee-pee one night. 

Samuel's 1st Birthday

It was a good birthday for our little Sammy-D.

He loved his presents. He loved his cake. And his siblings loved helping him along the way.

Unlike the older two, he went right for the cake after we sang happy birthday to him.

Must have something to do with the fact that he's had A LOT of sweets already. Ice cream is his favorite.

We love this sweet boy and the joy he brings into our lives. For the grandparents who couldn't be there: